Black and Indigo, a child abuse awareness story
by Torchix
Summary: This is all about Indigo and the abuse she suffered as a child. Possible spoilers for Scarlet's road, but I doubt that if I do it will actually happen in SR. Child Abuse Awareness.


**Me: Alright, this is an issue most can tell I feel strongly about. All SR readers will know and all Poké Academy readers too, this is a Child Abuse Awareness story, and I am actually going to cry in a moment. I also decided that, no matter how I hate Dax, he does deserve some sympathy in the first part of the story. OK? Well, begin...**

**Black and Indigo, a child abuse awareness story**

"Wat's da matter, Daxy?" A young, more ginger Indigo asked her now seven year old brother. She was four, innocent, cute and funny. A playful child who's brother meant the world to her.

"Nothing." Dax murmured, walking off. Indigo made a childish pout at his back but returned to watching 'Winnie the Pooh Teddiursa' on the TV, bouncing slightly along to the music of the beginning titles.

"Winnie da Pooh rules!" She giggled, hugging her Teddiursa bear with a Pooh t-shirt on. Her pigtails jiggled, making her laugh again. "Daxy, come watch with me!" Indigo called. Dax sighed, walking back over and sitting on the floor by his younger sister with his legs crossed. "Daxy, sumfin is wrong, I can telly." She pouted.

"Nothing is wrong. Promise." Dax assured with a forced smile, Indigo didn't notice. She was only four after all.

"Piglet promise." Indigo said. Dax smiled again and the two linked 'piglets', which were in fact their pinkie fingers. "Yay! Watch now, Daxy!"

Dax turned back to the TV, watching with her as she quoted everything most of the characters said, word for word. He couldn't not laugh at that, but he didn't laugh for long. His parents, or should I say parent, were going to tell her today. Tell her who his real dad was.

He was dreading it. Completely and utterly dreading it.

So he sat there, sadly watching with a forced smile. Indigo was blissfully unaware of what he was feeling, how much pain he was in. When the ending titles rolled he winced, hearing Pearl and Leaf walk in.

"Indigo dear?" Pearl said, Indigo looked up at her with a childish grin, jumping up onto her little legs and hugging her mother's leg.

"Mummy, Mummy! Winnie da Pooh got honey pot stuck on hid nose!" Indigo giggled. Pearl smiled weakly.

"Very funny, sweetie, can you sit on the sofa for a minute?" She asked. Indigo pulled away and nodded smiling her dimpled smile before jumping onto the sofa and bouncing up and down standing up. Leaf smiled sadly, pulling her down onto his lap.

"Dax." Leaf said, looking at the boy.

"Leaf." Dax said, sitting on one of the armchairs. Indigo frowned at him. She didn't understand why she wasn't calling him dad or daddy like normal. "Do you have to?"

"She needs to know." Pearl said, putting a hand on her son's shoulder. He shrugged her off.

"So young?"

"Yes." Leaf hissed. Indigo frowned more. "Indigo, you know that Dax doesn't look much like me?"

"He has ya eyes, daddy." Indigo replied. Leaf shook his head.

"No he doesn't, you probably can't tell but his green is a different shade to mine." Leaf said.

"Whaddya mean?" Indigo pouted. Pearl knelt in front of them.

"What we're saying dear, is that Dax isn't your father's son." Pearl said. Indigo thought for a moment.

"So he's like Jesus?" Indigo asked innocently. Dax chuckled dryly.

"No. Far from it." He said. Indigo gave her family a confused look.

"How he get borned den Mummy?" She asked. Pearl looked down. "Mummy? U kk?"

"I'm OK, dear." Pearl assured, looking into her daughter's blue eyes. "We're all OK."

"Mummy..."

"Dax's father is Harry Blackthorne." Leaf said, cutting off his daughter's sentence.

"W-Wat? The coordinaty person off da telly?" Indigo asked, looking at her dad with wide eyes. "Howy? He no my brother?"

"He's you half-brother, dear. I am still his mother." Pearl said. Indigo jumped off her dad's lap, shaking her head furiously.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, nooo!" Indigo screamed. "He no my brother, he no have my daddy he no my brother! NO!" Dax winced. "No! Nonononononononononono!"

Indigo ran out of the door of the room, climbing up the stairs on her hands and knees, the only way she could.

"Indigo...!" Pearl said, about to go after her when Leaf stopped her. Pearl sighed.

"Let her be, she needs time. It's a lot to take in." Leaf said. Pear nodded, hugging him. Dax stood, a small tear in his eye as he walked up to his room. The sign on Indigo's door now read 'No come in, Winnie will eat you!'

He sat on his bed, head in his hands.

"Dax?" Indigo said, Dax winced. She never called him Dax.

"What, Indi?" He asked, using her nickname.

"You not my brother, are you." She meant it to be a question, but it sounded like a statement. "You not daddy son." Dax could feel his hands clenching. "Why you no daddy son?"

"Because someone attacked mom." Dax said. Indigo took a step closer. "Someone attacked mom, and made me!" He yelled, Indigo jumped. "Now, unless your gonna be nice to me then go! This is hard for me too!"

"You no my brother, me no listen to what ya tell me ta do." Indigo said, crossing her arms and putting on a determined face. Dax felt his nails digging into his palms.

"Yes you will." He said, his hurt and anger getting the better of him. He stood up, looking down at Indigo in her little blue pinafore. Indigo's face looked slightly less determined and a lot more scared. Dax, without thinking, raised his hand and slapped her hard.

Little Indigo fell backwards, tears forming in her big eyes. Before she could start bawling and the adults realise there was a thump he dragged her back to her room and sat her by the bottom of her bed so it looked like she had fell off there.

"Don't say a word." He hissed. "Or we're both dead." Indigo just nodded and continued to cry. "Say you fell off the bed." She nodded again. "Good Indi."

Leaf and Pearl came up soon after, Dax backed off and went back to his room.

For some reason, he didn't feel bad.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

The next day Indigo had a large bruise on her cheek, she was sore on her jaw and felt a little queasy. Pearl helped her into a pair of blue dungarees and a stripy yellow top, brushing her ginger hair and leaving it loose to cover the majority of the bruise. Indigo didn't like that and kept trying to put it into a bobble by herself which made Pearl have to keep re-brushing it. Eventually they got downstairs and Indigo started to munch on her 'Poké Chows Cereal', getting milk all over her face. When done Pearl wiped it and took her round to Ruby's.

"Good to see you, Pearl. I haven't seen you in a week." Ruby greeted as her friend appeared. "I've been seeing Leaf dropping her off more than you!"

Pearl hugged her. "I've been busy helping Dad run errands, with Francesco doing other things this week' both women giggled 'he needed help."

"No matter." Ruby said, turning her attention to her godchild. "Hello, Indigo."

"Hello Aunt Ruby." Indigo said. Ruby smiled.

"Indi!" A small girl cheered, running up behind her mother.

"Vampal!" Indigo grinned, hugging her friend. They all called her Vampal because she looked like a vampire with red eyes, so they mixed 'pal' with 'Vampire'.

The two friends ran upstairs to play, making the two adults laugh.

"They are much more like us than I thought." Ruby giggled. Pearl nodded.

"I better go, Dax is in bed still. We're not sure what's wrong with him." She said. Ruby nodded, waving to her friend as she ran off down the drive.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

Upstairs Nevee, Scarlet and Indigo all sat around with toys in Scarlet's room.

"Why ya have ya hair down, Indi?" Scarlet asked, pulling a strand of the ginger hair playfully.

"Mummy made me." Indigo pouted. "I fwell outta bed n got biiiiiig bruise, she wanna hide it." She lied.

"Oo! Lemme see!" Scarlet said. Indigo pulled back the hair and the bruise was shown. "Oooooo!"

"Wat, wat?" Nevee asked, hopping over. "Owy!"

"Owy." The other two said in unison, nodding.

"Barbie time!" Nevee cheered. Now, they weren't all normal girls who played with the Barbies, they liked to draw on them and... Flush them down the loo. Yes, flush them down the lavatory.

Real nice kids, right?

"Shuddup big mouth!" Scarlet laughed, making the other girls giggle. See? This is the treatment I have had for years! Anyway, no fourth wall breaking, kids, not in this story. "Wat a 'fort wall'?" Never mind, just don't speak to me. "Otay."

They proceeded to do their usual thing when Scarlet noticed the absence of someone.

"Where Dax?" She asked curiously, pulling the head of the Barbie she was holding from the toilet. Indigo pouted and dropped the ken doll into the toilet and flushed it, the ken broke into pieces.

"He no my brother. He no come." She said, picking up another Ken, colouring its head blue and flushing it to a watery grave.

"He id ad much ya bro as Jazzy is mine!" Nevee said, dropping her Barbie (one looking slightly like a bully from playschool they only went to on Mondays), into the toilet and looking at her friend. Her green eyes were inquisitive.

"No he not." Indigo said, shaking her head. "His daddy no my daddy, so he not my brother."

"Eh?" Scarlet said.

"Daddy not his daddy, so he not my Daxy," Indigo said simply. "No talk about it, playing time now."

"OK." Scarlet said, shoving another doll down the toilet. "Hee-hee, I can feel a Ken's head!"

The other two laughed.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

"Oh look at you, you're soaking." Pearl fussed when she picked Indigo up later that day. "Have you been playing 'Barbie Bath' again?"

"Maybe." Indigo giggled. Pearl sighed.

"You think she's soaked? You should have seen Nevee, the girl must have practically jumped into the toilet." Ruby laughed as she leaned on the doorframe. "At least they didn't manage to get into the twins' room this time."

"Yes, at least they didn't manage that. Poor Rori and Roi." Pearl giggled slightly, standing up. "Well, see you tomorrow, Ru', better get dinner started for the hungry animals." Pearl walked off with Indigo, waving back at Ruby.

The two walked home, Indigo singing some kiddie tune as they went, dancing slightly too. Once home Indigo ran into the kitchen and jumped onto her chair. Leaf chuckled from behind the paper he was reading.

"You're sure excited to eat, aren't you Indi?" He asked. Indigo nodded. "Don't worry, Mummy put it in the oven before she came to get you."

"Yay!" Indigo cheered. Dax then walked in, still in his PJs and sat diagonal from Indigo instead of next to her as usual.

"Aren't you going to sit next to your sister?" Pearl asked as she walked in.

"Why? She doesn't like me anymore." Dax said, Pearl patted his shoulder as she walked past. Indigo ignored what he said and started to play with her Pikachu knife and fork, making them talk to each other. Dax gave a glance at her, not flinching when he saw the bruise she had uncovered by borrowing one of Scarlet's hair ties. Her hair was a mess.

"Here we go, fish fingers for Indigo' Indigo clapped as the plate was put in front of her 'Burger for Dax and Chinese meals for your father and I." Pearl said as she handed out the food. Dax just hurried his food, leaving only five minutes after he received it. Indigo, meanwhile, played with it like a typical four year old.

When she did finally finish she sat in the living room watching TV for an hour before bedtime.

"I dun wanna go ta bed!" Indigo whined as she was lead upstairs by Pearl.

"You have to or you won't be able to wake up on time to go to Scarlet's in the morning." Indigo pouted but did as told.

When Pearl kissed her goodnight she lay down but didn't go to sleep. She made her plushies play together when she heard the door open. Dax walked in.

"Wat u doin 'ere?" Indigo asked. Dax sat on the edge of her bed.

"Why do you hate me just because you know we only share a mom?" He asked.

"Because id you no daddy's son then you not my Daxy." Indigo replied. Dax felt tears pricking his eyes.

"We were real close, Indi, and you let it fall in a single minute?" He asked, slightly harsher than he wished. "We still have the same mom, we're still related."

"Not da same."

"Please, Indi." Dax said, picking up one of the plush toys he used to use when he played with her. Indigo took it back, making Dax look down. "I guess... that's a no."

He didn't know what was wrong with him, not at all, he was getting angrier by the second. This wasn't like him. Again, without thinking his actions through, he grabbed her arm tightly, almost making her scream. His hand clenched tight around her small wrist, making the jewels of her friendship bracelet dig into her arm. She wasn't actually supposed to be wearing it.

Indigo whimpered and he let go. "Dax..."

"Don't say a thing. Avoid me all you like but it'll just bring more of _that_' he pointed at her cheek and the bruises forming beneath the bracelet 'will happen." He stood and left the room, slamming the door and climbing into his own bed.

Again, he didn't feel bad for a moment. But then her realised he was turning into something that wasn't him, something nasty.

Was he really from bad blood?

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

_**Two years later... when Indigo is six...**_

"That's good, Indi!" Scarlet said, pointing to the drawing of Mudkip on the girl's paper. Indigo grinned at her friend, wincing when the bruise (hidden by make-up) on her cheek forced it back.

"Thank ya!" Indigo giggled, colouring in the cheeks of the Mudkip. "It no good compared ta yours though."

"I have it inhe-... inhe..." Inherited? "What she said, from Mummy. Yours is allllll you."

"Thanks." Indigo said. Nevee sat opposite them talking to Sophie as she coloured in a picture of all of them – Auberon, Scarlet, Indigo, Jaspa and herself – though they were only stick men/women. Though, the talking to an imaginary friend wasn't as weird at this age as when you're ten and wandering around the roads of Sinnoh, but that's the other story.

"Indigo, I've come to pick you up. Trainer school is over." Dax called, walking into the playschool they now attended every day. Indigo froze for a moment but grabbed her picture and put it in her bag, hugging her friend's goodbye (even Jaspa) and walked solemnly by the side of her nine year old brother.

They exited the school quickly, Indigo trying her best not to say anything that may make Dax angry. So she didn't speak. Dax seemed to be in a hurry, so she had to jog slightly to keep up with him. Her parents were still at work when they got home, Pokémon Master Breeder and Elite Coordinator they still worked. Pearl taught at her own Coordinating school and sometimes Leaf would help the two Pokémon professors up at the Oak Laboratories.

"There's sandwich stuff on the side." Dax said before sitting down on the sofa. Indigo nodded and went into the kitchen, pulling over her stool and slowly making the sandwiches. Too slow.

When she took them in Dax seemed to ignore how long she took as she ate, but once both were done he grabbed her hand, holding it tightly.

"What took so long?" He asked.

"I didn't wanna cut myself with da knife." Indigo said, wincing. Dax threw her back down, making her cry in pain from her delicate back hitting the floor.

"Be quicker next time or you'll have worse than a measly cut." He hissed, walking from the room up to his bedroom. Bad Blood indeed. "Shut up."

Indigo grabbed her Teddiursa toy and hugged it close, crying into its fur. She wanted to go up to her room but it was right next to Dax's, so she didn't bother. She just sat and cried by the sofa.

"Daxy..." she said. "I miss my Daxy..."

Later that day, about an hour after she managed to stop crying and top up the make-up over her bruises, Pearl arrived home, ready to make dinner. Leaf wouldn't be back for a while yet, he was running an errand to Viridian for Gary. By then Indigo was watching the TV again, singing along to any songs on the child's channel and pretending nothing had happened. Pearl smiled and walked into the kitchen.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

Months went by, Dax growing closer to ten every day. Soon he would be leaving on his journey, and Indigo was glad. At least three years without seeing him would mean no abuse, no lies and no attacks.

So she thought.

The night after his birthday, the night before he would leave, he came into her room.

"Hello." He said. Indigo clenched her eyes shut and pretended to be asleep. "I know you're awake, aren't you going to give your brother a goodbye hug?" She continued to feint sleep. "Oh c'mon, Indi. Its only little old me." He walked over and sat on the edge of her bed, forcing her to face him and then hugging her very, very tightly. Indigo whimpered, his hug hurting bruises already made and forming new ones. He pushed her off and then slapped her hard, she bit her lip so as not to attract attention from the adults.

He then hugged her again, but this time he it hard on her shoulder, making her almost scream before he clamped his hand over her mouth. "Shut up." He hissed. He slapped her once more before standing up, kicking her shin hard and then leaving. Indigo cried for a while, using the make-up again on the new bruises.

"Why Daxy?" She murmured, climbing back under her covers and hiding her face in her Mudkip plushie toy.

The next morning Dax left, when hugging her goodbye for 'show' he left a reminder he would be back, digging his nails into the small of her back. No one noticed.

Walking off with the trademark of his bloodline, a Roselia, he waved goodbye. Leaving the impression that he was the perfect child on all but Indigo.

"Goodbye." Indigo murmured. She knew she wasn't saying goodbye to Dax, but goodbye to Daxy, her brother she used to love, again. This time she was glad.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

Now we fast forward again, to the time of Scarlet's Road when the three years have passed. You will all recognise this.

"No." Dax said, he spun her so she was now facing toward the corner Jaspa was hid behind, arm still behind her back. Indigo's face was one of pure pain, wincing and teeth gritted, tears forming in her eyes. Jaspa could feel his blood boiling, not in the way it normally did either. This was... different. "Why would I?" Jaspa's fists clenched.

"Please!" Indigo begged, voice breaking. Dax just pulled her arm harder and pulled at her hair, making Indigo scream once. Dax let go of her hair and wrist, throwing her to the floor and kicking her side hard. Indigo yelped. Jaspa felt his anger getting stronger, fists so tight his nails- short, very short nails- were digging into his palms. His teeth were grinding against each other roughly.

Indigo tried to sit up, but was kicked down again.

"Please! Stop!" She pleaded as Dax pulled her up, slapping her across the face hard. Dax then threw her against the wall before walking off.

"Goodbye for now, sis." He snarled before laughing with no humour and leaving. Jaspa stuck close to the wall as he walked past, once he left he ran to Indigo, who didn't notice him at first. She sat, knees hugged to her chest and crying with her face buried in her knees.

"I-Indigo?" Jaspa stuttered, Indigo didn't look up. "Indigo? It's me, Jaspa."

"I know it's you." Indigo sniffed. "Go away."  
"Indigo, Dax just... abused you." Jaspa said.

"I think I noticed!" The girl snapped. Jaspa frowned.

"Are you going to be OK?" He asked.

"Why the hell would you care?"

Jaspa was taken aback, hurt contorting his features. Why was this hurting him so much? He never felt this hurt, ever.

"Because you're my friend." He said after a moment. Indigo scoffed. "What?"

"You. Saying you're my friend when all you do is read, read, research, read and then read s'more!" Indigo said, face still in her knees. Jaspa frowned again.

"Look. I may be a bit cold, yes, I know. But that is who I am! I care about you!"

"No. You. DON'T!" Indigo yelled, face snapping up, tears in her eyes and a large bruise forming on her cheek. "You don't even care about Nevee, your twin! Don't give me that crap." Jaspa could feel tears stinging his eyes, but forced them back. "Go away."

"At least let me help you up." Jaspa insisted. Sighing Indigo gave him her unhurt wrist and he pulled her to her feet where she quickly walked off. She pushed her hair over the side of her face where the bruise was, ready to put make-up over it when she reached the room. "No secrets, I thought we had no secrets!"

"That was not to you."

"You're keeping it from Scarlet! The one you made the promise to!"

"Don't say anything." She said.

"But-..."  
"No buts, Jaspa, don't tell anyone." Indigo hissed before running off, a slight limp to her steps. Jaspa saw one tear drop to the floor.

"I can't believe... has he always?" Yeah... "DAMMIT!" Jaspa yelled, punching the nearest wall hard, making the light on it flicker.

Indigo sat on the bed of the room, Scarlet had long ago fallen asleep, meaning she would be hungry when she woke up, no doubt. Hope and Destiny were snoring, well, Destiny was, Hope was sleep singing.

Indigo sighed, looking at the bruises forming on her arms. "Black and blue... ha, black and Indigo." She said, laughing with no humour at the 'pun'. She put make-up over the bruises and lay down, slowly falling to sleep.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

"It's good someone knows though, right?" Jaspa asked one night at a Poké Centre just outside the next town. Indigo nodded slightly, fidgeting slightly as his hand laid over hers. It was dark out everyone else was asleep. "You should have told someone."

"No one would have believed me. He was the perfect child." Indigo said. Jaspa's turn to nod.

"I guess so, but still Indi." He said, Indigo smiled. Jaspa had never used her nickname.

"Thanks, Jazz."

"For what?" Jaspa asked, a slight tinge of pink on his cheeks.

"Being here." Indigo said. Jaspa grinned.

"No pro-..." He was cut off when Indigo kissed his cheek. His blush got deeper.

"Thanks."

"Y-You're welcome."

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

**And that is her story. That was by no means the last attack. No, definitely not. Please bear in mind the end might not happen in SR.**

**Child Abuse is real, these people may not be, but things like that could happen anywhere, any home, any country, maybe even on your street. If you know it is happening or are a victim then **_**tell someone**_**. It could change lives.**

**Signed...**

**Torchix.**


End file.
